


One in a Row of Specimens

by jonasnightingale



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Abandoned Work - Unfinished and Discontinued, F/M, Gen, I Don't Even Know, I'm Sorry, Kidnapping, supportive friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:27:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26493367
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jonasnightingale/pseuds/jonasnightingale
Summary: Abandoned Rollisi fic.Carisi's transfer and Barba's absence are still new wounds on the squad when Amanda is kidnapped. There's a memory of Lewis in the air around them. Barba comes back to pull the team through.
Relationships: Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr./Amanda Rollins, Rafael Barba & Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Kudos: 10





	One in a Row of Specimens

He hadn’t thought he could feel much worse; between having a child rapist go free and the chill of that new chasm between he and Rollins again. But then Olivia called with her victim voice on and he knew his whole life was about to go up in smoke. There was a ringing in his ears and a stone in his throat as he hung up the call; panic rising up his chest. 

***

Barba picked up on the second ring, “Carisi, using your dial a friend already… What’s happened?” There was a laugh in his voice which quickly cut short at the rapid breathing coming from the other end. He listened to the man try to hold himself from falling apart, already grabbing a coat and closing the door behind him. “Alright, I will meet you at the precinct in 40 minutes. You have 40 minutes to feel however you need to feel, and then take a shower and pull yourself together. We’ll go from there. 40 minutes.”

***

He rolled in with a tray of coffees. Pulling up short outside her office door he took a deep breath and straightened his attire then knocked. They’d played this scene so many times it choked him to walk in like nothing had changed. But it all had. The bewildered look on her face and quiet “Raf” that slipped out proved that, the walls suddenly thrown up moments later did too. Gods he’d missed her, with every moment since that cold winter day. She answers her own question with a sigh and a “You heard.”, running an anxious hand over her face. He nods, “Carisi called. Wanted advice. Seems he thinks I held it together during L… well, when we were in a similar situation, and wanted some pointers.” Her eyes flick sharply to meet his and there’s a lifetime of moments they shared together in that look. There’s him, standing stoic beside her as they waited for red and blue lights to herald her son into her arms. Checking in on her first day back at work. There’s lego robots and jaywalking deers. There’s him always there on the worst days. He places her coffee down and throws a sad smile her way. “Liv, I’m here, if you need me. If I can be of any help. I…” He wants to say he misses her and Noah, ask about his favourite little man, but he catches himself. He can’t make this another burden on her. “And if not, I’ll try to stay out of the way. Get Carisi on his feet and be out of your hair.” There’s a question in it that she almost answers, instead she just nods and purses her lips in a gesture he immediately recognises, she raises her coffee with a “Thanks… Rafa.” 

***

Rafael pulls Carisi through. They make lists and they rearrange meetings and they have Carmen pull a few tactical “errors” to ensure things work in their favour. Even Calhoun lends a hand to reschedule a motion hearing. They send Jesse and Billie and Franny to Mama Carisi’s in Staten Island, along with some unis to keep them safe. And the hours tick by but there’s still no leads. The therapist had looked Sonny up and down with a knowing “oh, so you’re Carisi” which is going to keep the man awake overthinking every possible meaning for nights to come, once Amanda is home. Barba is the one that reminds him he no longer has a gun, can’t be the one smashing doors down and running in first any more - something they all seem to have forgotten in the desperation. So they linger back, but when they find her, he’s elbowing through the vests to get to her first, stripping down to cover her bruised form with his shirt.

***

**Author's Note:**

> title coopted from John Fowles, The Collector


End file.
